Zucchini Pepper Relish Recipe...

I was recently asked to share the recipe I use for the Zucchini Pepper Relish that's such a huge hit around here. This recipe is so good that it has great barter power! We eat it on the usual hamburgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage, brats, etc., but we also love it as a side for cheese, sausage and crackers.

Here's the recipe. If you decide to make it, be sure to let me know what you think!

Zucchini Pepper Relish

Makes 5 (one pint) jars

• 6 cups/890 grams chopped green bell peppers (about 8 whole peppers)
• 8 cups grated zucchini (about 3 pounds zucchini)
• 8 1/2 cups grated onion (about 2 large onions)
• 4 cups/960 ml apple cider vinegar, divided
• 2 cups/400 g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Prepare a boiling water bath and 5 regular mouth (1 pint/500 ml) jars for water bath canning. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the chopped bell pepper, zucchini, and onion in a large, nonreactive pot. Stir in 2 cups of the apple cider vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the vegetables have cooked down, about 30 minutes.

Drain the vegetables and return to the pot. Add the remaining apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Ladle the relish into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch/12 mm of headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

** I turn off the canner and remove the cover once the time is up, to allow the jars to cool a little while in the canner to avoid the hot contents from siphoning out of the jars. Once the water has cooled a bit, remove the jars from the canner. Wait 24 hours and remove the rings. Make sure the lid has sealed. If not, you can reprocess with new lids within 24 hours, or keep in refrigerator until ready to use. Clean the jars and lids with white vinegar, label and store.

Enjoy!

Playing With Wool...

Handsome thinks I should make another spoolie, so I've pulled out my supplies and will attempt a wee puffin today. I've pulled wool colors and will work on the pattern pieces to see if I can get the shapes right. I saw the cutest image of a puffin standing on one leg, so I'm going to attempt to recreate that. We'll see.

We're running a couple errands first thing this morning, and then I'm going to sit down with my wools to see if I can pull this one off. I hope so. I do love these quirky, little birds.

A Fun Weekend...

The Birthday Girl

I had a great weekend! Did I do any canning? Nope. Did I do any stitching? Again, nope. I did, however, attend a Birthday party for a certain six year old great niece. 

I'm not cleared to drive yet, so Handsome manned the wheel to drop me off at the party. Once there, I met up with my sister, Jan, and we enjoyed our family until it was time to leave. We had made arrangements before I got there that she would drive me back home, in spite of the fact that she lives about a half hour in the opposite direction from the party. We chatted and visited all the way home, and then she turned around and went back north.

I was extremely grateful that she made it possible for me to attend the party, and spend a little time with family.

I hardly saw the kiddos, as their Mom and Dad had installed a bounce house and swimming pool in the back yard. I only saw the Birthday girl when she came in to eat dinner and blow out the candles on her cake. Her sister and brother never did come in while I was there! They were having waaaaay too much fun.

Eldest and Youngest

Yesterday, I heard from my little brother. He was going to be in the area (he lives about an hour and a half away), so he came to spend a little time with his eldest sibling. We don't get to see much of each other, so Handsome and I really enjoyed his visit.

Beyond that, I spent time resting, doing my pt exercises, taking an occasional nap, and spending time with my dear husband. Canning and needlework will be there all week, and I'll certainly get all my work done, but it was a holiday weekend, so I went on break. I'm glad I did, too.

I hope everyone had a restful or equally fun time with family and/or friends. Sometimes we just need to kick out of gear and enjoy our wonderful lives. That's exactly what I did. See you tomorrow.

Oh, and Happy September!